John Dietrich’s Sermon: “Robert G. Ingersoll: An Appreciation” – As Presented and Amended by Rev. Eklof

Rev. John H. Deitrich, our Spokane congregation’s minister from 1911 to 1916, went on to become known as the Father of Religious Humanism. In his wish to reawaken us to this seminal figure’s relevance today, Rev. Eklof will continue his series of occasionally reworking and delivering one of Dietrich’s historic sermons. In this particular sermon, given in 1924, Dietrich discusses his appreciation for Robert Ingersoll, a renowned 19th-century American lawyer, Civil War veteran, and orator known as “The Great Agnostic.” As a staunch Republican and advocate for free thought, he defended science, reason, and humanism while criticizing religious dogma. He was also a prominent defender of civil rights, including women’s suffrage and abolition. Listen to the audio only of this sermon.